Combined shelter and pneumatic jack



April 23, 1963 w. w, CUSHMAN COMBINED SHELTER AND PNEUMATIC JACK FiledOct. 24, 1960 //I I f/7,

Walton,

United States The invention described herein, if patented, may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a lifting jack which may be used as a shelterfrom time to time as desired, and has for its primary object to providesuch a device of relatively inexpensive and lightweight constructionwhich is capable of lifting extremely heavy objects and yet which may becollapsed so as to occupy a minimum of space when not in use.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a liftingjack which, in addition to its lifting characteristics, is also capableof serving as a shelter for the items being operated upon, as well asthe operators.

A further object of the invention consists in the provision of apneumatic jack for use in lifting heavy items, such as pieces ofordnance, so that they may be placed on and fixed to a lightweightplatform preliminarily to being parachuted from a plane or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the combined shelter and pneumaticjack showing in dotted outline one of the purposes for which it may beused;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the jack in partly collapsedcondition; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view, partly broken away, takenon the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference numerals,the combined shelter and jack, which is frusto conical in shape, isindicated generally by the numeral 1. This jack is composed of aplurality of annular inflatable members 2, each of which is providedwith a valve 3, such as a tire valve, for the purpose of inflating ordeflating it.

In the present illustration, the pneumatic inflatable tubes are shown asof graduated cross-sectional diameter, although they could be made ofuniform cross-sectional diameter if desired.

These several elements are adhesively secured together, as indicated bythe numeral 4. Supported on the upper annular tube 2 is a detachableceiling or roof, shown as a Whole at 5, of lightweight construction suchas honeycomb 6 faced with aluminum skin, or the like 7. Fixed centrallyon the roof is a hook 8 from which depends a block and tackle 9 or othertype of lifting and supporting means.

One of the primary purposes of the present invention is the formation ofa jack for lifting heavy objects such as a self-propelled howitzer A,shown in dotted outline in FIG. 1. In the operation of the device, thehowitzer, or other article to be lifted, is drawn or driven upon alightweight platform B, also shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1.Thereafter, the combined shelter and jack, in more or less deflatedform, is placed over the vehicle and the operators attach the vehicle tothe board B and place it upon saw horses, or the like C, after thevehicle is lifted. The vehicle is first attached to the board by straps,shackles, or the like D and slings E may .be secured to it in the mannerindicated. Subsequently, the block and tackle is secured to the slings Eand the tubes 2 are individually inflated, starting at the top andproceeding atent.

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downwardly. This inflation of the tubes elevates the board B and itscargo so that the operators may place the saw horses under it, asindicated. During these operations, the frusto conical member 1 servesas a shelter for the operators, as well as the jack for lifting the iteminto spaced relation with the ground. The tubes 2 may be inflated by anydesired means but in the present illustration an air pump F is used forsuch purpose, or the exhaust of an internal combustion engine may beused if desired.

The tubes 2 may be made of any air-impermeable material, such -as coatedfabrics or polyester film. The pressure required to raise and supportthe load varies in accordance with the amount of surface in contact withthe ground or with the next adjacent tube. Consequently as the diameterof annuli decreases in the frusto con ical construction, the amount ofpressure in the tubes must increase in proportion. Likewise, thegraduation of the diameters of the tubes themselves will require agraduated increase in pressure from the bottom to the top of the series.It will be noted, therefore, that the material of which the tubes areformed gradually increases in thickness from the bottom to the top ofthe jack.

The total weight of the jack and shelter is rather light due to thestructure of the tubes themselves as well as the light weight of thehoneycomb construction of which the support for the block and tackle iscomposed. It will be understood, therefore, that this frusto-conicaljack may be partly inflated and then readily placed over the supportingboard B and the cargo mounted thereon. In this connection, it should bementioned that after the vehicle is positioned, as indicated in FIG. 1,the jack is detached therefrom and removed from the position shown,after which the combined board and vehicle may be associated with one ormore parachutes and placed upon an aircraft for transportation to itsdestination, whereupon it may be ejected and parachuted to the ground inthe usual manner.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have de' scribed what I nowconsider to be the preferred form of the invention, but since variousminor changes may be made in structural details without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, it is intended that all such changes beincluded within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A frusto-conical pneumatic jack adapted to be placed over an articleto be lifted, comprising a series of annular inflatable tubes superposedone upon the other, the annuli of the tubes gradually decreasing indiameter from the bottom to the top, means for individually inflatingsaid tubes, means overlying the topmost of said annular tubes, and ablock-and-tackle assembly depending from said last-named means.

2. A frusto-conical pneumatic jack adapted to be placed over an articleto be lifted, comprising a series of annular inflatable tubes superposedone upon the other, means for individually inflating said tubes,removable means in overlying contact with the topmost of said annularinflatable tubes, and means for engagement with and for raising and/ orlowering an article located beneath the removable means upon theinflation or deflation of said annular tubes, said engagement meansdepending from said removable overlying means.

3. A frusto-conical pneumatic jack adapted to be placed over an articleto be lifted, comprising a series of annular inflatable tubes superposedone upon the other, the annuli of the tubes gradually decreasing indiameter from the bottom to the top, means for serially inflating saidtubes, removably mounted roof means in overlying engagement with thetopmost of said inflatable annular tubes, and means depending from theroof means for engagement with and for raising and/or lowering anarticle disposed References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 468,455 Giessmann Feb. 9, 1892 4 Sumovski Dec. 26, BrownMay 13, Lelfingwell Jan. 1, Hughes Sept. 2, Miz-rach et al. Sept. 20,Bayerkohler Aug. 27, ,Cushrnan July 4, Barnes Oct. 9,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Mar. 11,

1. A FRUSTO-CONICAL PNEUMATIC JACK ADAPTED TO BE PLACED OVER AN ARTICLETO BE LIFTED, COMPRISING A SERIES OF ANNULAR INFLATABLE TUBES SUPERPOSEDONE UPON THE OTHER, THE ANNULI OF THE TUBES GRADUALLY DECREASING INDIAMETER FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP, MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY INFLATINGSAID TUBES, MEANS OVERLYING THE TOPMOST OF SAID ANNULAR TUBES, AND ABLOCK-AND-TACKLE ASSEMBLY DEPENDING FROM SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS.